TV disposal glossary
Plain-English explanations of the terms you will come across.
- A permitted site approved to treat WEEE and issue evidence that it has been recycled to the required standard. TVs are dismantled here and their materials recovered.
- CCFL backlight
- Cold cathode fluorescent lamp, a type of backlight used in many older LCD TVs. These lamps contain small amounts of mercury, which is why such screens need careful treatment when recycled.
- Consignment note
- The document used to track hazardous waste, such as CRT screens, from the producer to the receiving facility in England and Wales. Copies must be kept for three years.
- CRT
- Cathode ray tube, the large glass picture tube used in older televisions and monitors. CRT glass contains lead and the tube is under vacuum, so CRT sets are hazardous waste.
- Distributor Take-back Scheme
- A scheme that electrical retailers can join instead of offering in-store take-back. Member retailers pay into a fund that supports WEEE collection at household waste recycling centres.
- Duty of care
- The legal duty on householders and businesses to make sure their waste is passed only to an authorised person. Breaching it, for example if waste is fly-tipped, can lead to fines.
- EWC code
- A European Waste Catalogue code, the six-digit number used to classify waste on transfer and consignment notes. Codes marked with an asterisk are hazardous, such as some electrical equipment.
- Factory reset
- A setting that returns a smart TV to its original state, deleting accounts, apps, saved Wi-Fi passwords and personal settings. It should be done before a TV is sold, donated or recycled.
- Fly-tipping
- The illegal dumping of waste on land not licensed to take it. Householders who give waste to an unregistered collector can be held responsible if it is fly-tipped.
- Household waste recycling centre
- A council-run site, often called the tip, where householders can drop off waste including TVs and electricals, usually free of charge. Some sites need a booking or restrict vans and business waste.
- Plasma display
- A flat screen technology using small gas-filled cells between two glass sheets that light up to form the picture. Plasma TVs were made until around 2014 and are heavier than LED TVs.
- Registered waste carrier
- A person or business registered with the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA or NIEA to transport waste. Their registration can be checked on the public register before you hand over a TV.
- VESA mount
- The industry standard pattern of four screw holes on the back of a TV used to attach it to a wall bracket, described by the spacing in millimetres, such as 400 by 400.
- Waste transfer note
- A document recording the transfer of non-hazardous waste from one party to another, including its description, quantity and waste code. Businesses must keep them for at least two years.
- WEEE
- Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, the legal category for discarded electrical items including TVs. The WEEE Regulations 2013 set out how it must be collected, treated and recycled in the UK.
Last updated 6 November 2026